CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati swimming and diving teams will face a schedule that includes some of the nation's best programs from the Big Ten, ACC and SEC during Mandy Commons-DiSalle's first year as head coach of the Bearcats.

Commons-DiSalle released the schedule Wednesday, highlighted by home meets with Xavier, Miami (Ohio) and Kentucky, as well as a training trip to Naples, Florida, prior to the American Athletic Conference and NCAA Championships.

"Our schedule this season will be extremely exciting," Commons-DiSalle said of her inaugural campaign. "We face some great competition this year that will challenge our young team to compete at a high level."

The slate opens with the annual Red & Black Intrasquad meet on Friday, Oct. 3 at the Keating Aquatics Center and is followed by the regular season opener with crosstown rival Xavier, also at Keating, on Friday, Oct. 17. Last year, the Bearcats swept the Musketeers by scores of 183-111 (men) and 199-85 (women).

Cincinnati will then head north on Interstate 71 to visit Ohio State on Friday, Oct. 24. The men and women will both take on the Buckeyes, while the women will also face Purdue. The next meet sees UC travel the other direction on I-71 to visit former conference rival Louisville on Saturday, Nov. 15.

The Bearcats will travel to Eastern Michigan for a dual meet on Saturday, Nov. 15, before taking part in the RedHawk Invitational at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 4-6. The 2014 portion of the schedule concludes with a training trip to Naples, Florida, which will also include a regular-season showdown with Georgia Tech on Saturday, Dec. 20.

2015 will kick-off with a familiar foe, as the RedHawks return the favor and visit Keating for a dual meet on Saturday, Jan. 10. UC then hits the road for a meet at Oakland (Mich.) which will also include Kenyon and Olivet on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 16-15, and a trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for a dual meet at Western Kentucky on Saturday, Jan .24.

The regular season concludes with a dual meet against Kentucky from the Southeastern Conference on Friday, Jan. 30. The visit from the Wildcats will also mark the program's senior day.

The American Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships will be held Wednesday through Saturday, Feb. 18-21, in Greensboro, North Carolina. Last year, the Bearcats saw now-sophomore Jackie Keire deliver a pair of individual titles while the women placed fifth and the men finished fourth.

UC will look to send a swimmer to the NCAA Championships for the second straight year after Keire qualified in three events a season ago (100, 200 and 500 freestyles). The women's championships will be held Thursday-Saturday, March 19-21, in Greensboro, North Carolina, while the men's event will take place Thursday-Saturday, March 26-28, in Iowa City, Iowa.

Commons-DiSalle is in her first season as head coach of the Bearcats following four years as an assistant coach. The Cincinnati native won three state championships at Sycamore High School before earning honorable mention All-America honors at Clemson.